I'm in the market for a 512GB flash drive to use with my Windows laptop for downloading games. I'm not quite sure what specifications I should be paying attention to, especially regarding transfer speeds. I'm ideally looking for something portable, like a USB stick. Any advice on what I should look for?
4 Answers
Absolutely. Flash drives can be way too slow for gaming. An NVMe SSD in an enclosure is a solid move. You'll get faster load speeds and better durability. Just make sure the enclosure supports the right specs for gaming!
Definitely affects load times! If the game has to pull data from a slow drive, you'll notice it when it comes to starting up or transitioning between levels.
If you see a deal, keep an eye out for models like the SK Hynix Tube T31. It’s a 1TB NVMe drive that looks like a big flash drive but performs way better. I think it was around $59.99 at one point!
Darn, I missed that deal! Is it worth waiting for another sale or just buy what's out there now?
If you find something decent, I'd say go for it. Prices tend to fluctuate.
I'd recommend going for an external SSD instead of a traditional flash drive. They're a bit bulkier, but they offer way better performance for gaming, especially when it comes to loading times.
Honestly, you might want to check out Amazon. I just grabbed a SanDisk 512GB flash drive for around $35. Just keep in mind, they’re generally better for storage than actual gaming performance.
How critical is the speed factor? Like, does it just affect game load times or overall performance too?